The realisation hit Eren like a thunderbolt. Before he could fully process what had happened, he found himself trembling.
He had just summoned the last of the Three Calamities, the very beings who had once brought the Human Faction to the brink of destruction.
Elena Snow.
According to the history taught at the academy, she had once been one of humanity’s greatest mages, fighting alongside the Human Faction when the Great War began.
She was known as the Frost Saint of Glory Settlement in the North, where she had led her people to victory in numerous battles. When the Demon Army eventually reached the settlement, the people looked to her to protect their city.
But she betrayed them.
At least, that was what the official records claimed.
Rather than fight the invading army, Elena unleashed an ice spell that froze the entire city, killing eighty percent of its population. She disappeared after the incident, only to return months later and turn against the Human Faction.
The woman once praised as the Frost Saint became the Frost Witch, eventually earning the title of the Frozen Calamity.
Hela Mountain’s story was equally tragic.
She had once been one of the Human Faction’s greatest warriors, rising through the ranks to become a prominent leader of the human army. Her combat abilities were said to be extraordinary, making her a nightmare for anyone who faced her on the battlefield.
Then the Demon Army slaughtered her entire clan.
Hela survived, but she believed the Human Faction was responsible for the massacre. Her fellow commanders denied the accusation, insisting that humanity would never betray someone who had served it so faithfully.
Hela refused to believe them.
She turned against the humans, becoming another enemy they could not afford to ignore. Eventually, she was defeated, earning the title of the Winged Calamity.
These were the stories Eren had grown up hearing. The academy had made sure every student understood the threat these three women once posed to humanity.
They were said to have possessed enough power to destroy the Human Faction and, if given the opportunity, threaten the world beyond the Dominion Expanse.
And now, Eren had summoned all three of them.
’What am I supposed to do?’
He stared at the women before him, struggling to calm himself.
They were SSS-Rank beings. He was an F-Rank Settler who had barely arrived in the Dominion Expanse.
If they decided to turn against him, he doubted he would survive long enough to regret his decision.
’No. I have to calm down.’
He had summoned them, and he couldn’t undo it now. His best option was to ensure they remained on his side and, more importantly, prevent the Human Faction from discovering their existence.
But first, he needed to know if Elena and Hela would accept him as their master, just as Vaelzara had.
He straightened his back.
"My name is Eren Blake, and I’m the lord of this territory. I summoned you here because I need your help to develop it."
Elena and Hela exchanged brief glances before looking around.
Their expressions said enough.
There was nothing here. No buildings, no roads, not even a proper shelter. Just dry, ash-covered ground stretching into the distance.
"I know this place doesn’t look like much," Eren continued, feeling a little awkward. "But we’re going to change that. First, we need somewhere to sleep before nightfall. After that, we’ll find food, water, and whatever else we need to survive."
He paused.
"I hope you’ll cooperate with me. I didn’t bring you back just to stand around in this wasteland."
For a moment, neither woman responded and just stared in hesitation.
Then Elena lowered herself onto one knee.
"I, Elena Snow, swear to serve you until the end of your years."
Hela followed immediately, kneeling beside her.
"I, Hela Mountain, swear to serve you until the end of your years."
Eren stared at them with his eyes lit up.
’Again?’
He had barely recovered from watching Vaelzara kneel before him, and now two more SSS-Rank beings had done the same.
Relief washed over him so suddenly that he almost laughed.
At least he hadn’t been frozen to death or torn apart the moment they appeared. He had actually managed to get them to pledge their service to him.
"Rise..." He had to maintain his lordship approach no matter what, as he urged them to quit bowing.
Both women rose.
Vaelzara’s hand remained close to the hilt of her sword. Her crimson eyes occasionally shifted toward Elena and Hela, and her expression had grown more watchful.
The other two weren’t much different. Elena’s face remained calm, but the frost around her hadn’t entirely settled. Hela stood with one hand close to her greatsword.
They were wary of one another.
Eren remembered that the three women had never fought on the same side during the Great War. According to the academy’s history, Vaelzara’s war against humanity had helped plunge the Dominion Expanse into chaos, eventually leading to Elena’s betrayal and Hela’s rebellion.
They might have fought against the same enemy, but that didn’t make them allies.
Their grudges had probably survived longer than most kingdoms.
Eren decided not to get involved. He had more pressing problems to deal with.
Like the fact that he still had nowhere to sleep.
"We don’t have much time before sunset," he said. "We need to start working immediately. We’ll build a shelter first, then figure out how to secure food, water, and other resources."
He glanced at the small pile of supplies he had received upon arriving.
Five loaves of bread. Two litres of drinking water. A set of basic clothing and a survival kit.
That was everything he had.
It wouldn’t last long, especially with thirteen people to consider when he uses the remaining summoning allowances.
Talking about the remaining summoning allowances, he figured it was about time to make use of them.
[F-RANK SUMMONING ALLOWANCES ×10]
He had been so excited about summoning the Three Calamities that he had barely paid attention to the ten F-Rank allowances granted alongside them.
Now, he was glad he hadn’t forgotten about them entirely.
The three women beside him might be incredibly powerful, but he needed more than combat strength to establish a settlement. He needed people with practical skills... People who could build houses, grow food, make tools, and treat injuries.
Hopefully, the system would give him exactly that because he knew it was a random draw.
He activated all ten allowances at once.
[SEARCHING FOR SUITABLE SPIRITS...]
[TEN SUITABLE TARGETS IDENTIFIED!]
The system responded almost immediately.
[TEN F-RANK SPIRITS HAVE BEEN SUMMONED!]
[Spirits arrival in ten seconds...]
In ten, a series of summoning circles appeared across the ground, and ten figures materialised before him.
Eren looked at the newcomers as the system began identifying them.
[NAME: ALDRIC ROWAN]
[RANK: F-RANK]
[CLASS: FARMER]
A sturdy man with weathered hands, Aldric immediately began examining the barren ground without being told to.
[NAME: MARCUS VEYNE]
[RANK: F-RANK]
[CLASS: BUILDER]
Marcus had a solid build and the rough hands of someone accustomed to hard labour. His eyes moved across the surroundings, taking in the lack of buildings and unavailable materials.
[NAME: GARRICK HOLT]
[RANK: F-RANK]
[CLASS: BLACKSMITH]
.
[NAME: MIRIAM VALE]
[RANK: F-RANK]
[CLASS: HEALER / PHYSICIAN]
Miriam was a composed-looking woman whose attention briefly passed over Eren and the others, as though checking whether anyone needed medical attention.
[NAME: ROWAN BLACKWOOD]
[RANK: F-RANK]
[CLASS: SCOUT]
Rowan’s sharp eyes were already studying the surrounding wilderness. Unlike the others, he seemed less concerned about the barren land than about what might be hiding beyond it. Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
[NAME: DARIUS KANE]
[RANK: F-RANK]
[CLASS: SHIELD FIGHTER]
Darius carried himself like a man accustomed to standing between danger and those he protected.
[NAME: ROLAND VOSS]
[RANK: F-RANK]
[CLASS: SHIELD FIGHTER]
Roland stood beside him, his sturdy frame and defensive equipment making his role easy to guess.
[NAME: KAEL DRAVEN]
[RANK: F-RANK]
[CLASS: SWORDSMAN]
Kael wore a sword at his side and watched his surroundings with a calm, alert expression.
[NAME: ELIAS CROW]
[RANK: F-RANK]
[CLASS: ARCHER]
Elias carried a bow, his eyes briefly scanning the open terrain.
[NAME: LYRA FEN]
[RANK: F-RANK]
[CLASS: ARCHER]
Lyra stood beside him, equally attentive to the unfamiliar surroundings.
Eren’s expression brightened as he read through the notifications.
A farmer, a builder, a blacksmith, a healer, and a scout.
He had even received five dedicated fighters.
This was much better than he had expected!
He looked at Marcus again. A builder was exactly what he needed right now.
"Welcome, everyone," Eren said. "I’m Eren Blake, the lord of this territory. I summoned you because I need your help to build a settlement here."
The ten spirits listened attentively.
"I won’t lie to you. We have very little to work with, and the surrounding area isn’t safe. But we’ll make do with what we have and improve things as we go."
Marcus stepped forward.
"My lord, our first priority should be a shelter. We need somewhere safe to spend the night."
"I agree," Rowan Blackwood added. "I’ll need to scout the area before we start gathering materials. We don’t know what might be lurking nearby."
Aldric glanced at the barren ground.
"And I’ll have to examine the land before I can tell you whether we can grow anything here."
Eren nodded.
"Good. We’ll figure everything out together."
He then turned toward the three women standing nearby.
"These are Vaelzara Veyrath, Elena Snow, and Hela Mountain. They’ll also be helping us develop and protect the territory."
The ten newcomers looked at the women, sensing something unusual about their presence. None of them questioned Eren’s introduction.
One after another, they knelt.
"My lord," Marcus said, lowering his head.
The others followed, each bowing before the young Settler who had summoned them.
Eren looked at the thirteen spirits gathered before him. Three SSS-Rank legends and ten F-Rank spirits, all standing on a barren piece of land that didn’t even have a proper shelter.
It was an absurd beginning.
But it was his beginning.
He took a deep breath, looked at the wasteland stretching before him, and allowed a small smile to appear on his face.
"Let the journey begin."